[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 139 (Friday, July 19, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43183-43184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17377]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket ID DoD-2013-OS-0090]


Notice of Availability for Sharpe Permit Relinquishment Project 
Environmental Assessment Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) for Sharpe Permit Relinquishment 
Project Environmental Assessment (EA) Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI).

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SUMMARY: On April 30, 2013, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) published a 
NOA in the Federal Register (78 FR 25258-25259) announcing the 
publication of the Sharpe Permit Relinquishment Project EA. The EA was 
available for a 30-day public comment period which ended May 30, 2013. 
The EA was prepared as required under the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.). No comments were received 
during the comment period. This FONSI documents the decision of DLA to 
relinquish the permit for use and occupancy of the Sharpe Army Depot, 
currently known as Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin, California--
Sharpe (Sharpe Site) with a determination that no significant impacts 
on the human environment are associated with this decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Defense Distribution Depot San 
Joaquin, California--Sharpe Public Affairs Office, P.O. Box 960001, 
Stockton, CA 95296-0001, ATTN: Sharpe Permit Relinquishment Project. 
(209) 839-4226. [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DLA has occupied the Sharpe Site since 1990 
under a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Department of the Army 
(Army). DLA is proposing to move its operations from the Sharpe Site to 
its Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin, California--Tracy (Tracy 
Site). Currently, DLA has co-existing operations at both facilities. 
Consolidation of operations at one facility would increase efficiency 
of DLA operations by reducing redundancies, thereby reducing 
operational costs.
    Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose of the Sharpe Permit 
Relinquishment Project is to return the land and improvements at the 
Sharpe Site to the Army as DLA has proposed consolidation of its 
operations from the Sharpe Site to its nearby Tracy Site.

[[Page 43184]]

Consolidation of the operations into one facility increases efficiency 
of DLA operations and reduces operational costs. The consolidation 
would not substantially alter other non-DLA operations at the Sharpe 
site and the federal government will continue ongoing environmental 
restoration efforts at the Sharpe Site following the permit 
relinquishment.
    Proposed Action and Alternatives: Under the proposed action, DLA 
would relinquish occupancy and use of the property and return the 
Sharpe Site to the Army who owns the land and the improvements thereon. 
DLA wants to consolidate activities currently performed at the Sharpe 
Site to its existing facilities at the Tracy Site and potentially other 
DLA facilities. Land and improvements associated with the property 
would be conveyed back to the Army. The Army would assume all 
management responsibilities associated with the property. No new 
construction or ground disturbing activities at the Tracy Site would 
result from the proposed action. As an alternative to the proposed 
action, DLA considered taking no action. The no action alternative 
would have maintained existing conditions through continued occupancy 
and use of the facility by DLA. Under this alternative, the Army would 
not resume occupancy and use of the property and DLA would continue to 
operate the facility until the conclusion of its current permit on 
April 11, 2020. The no action alternative would not satisfy the 
project's purpose and need; however, the alternative was included in 
the environmental analysis to provide a baseline for comparison with 
the proposed action and was analyzed in accordance with Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA.
    An additional alternative was considered, but eliminated from 
further consideration. This alternative included relocating Sharpe 
operations to a nearby commercially available site. This alternative 
was dismissed from further consideration because there would be 
additional security risks associated with operations conducted at non-
secured facilities, as well as additional operational costs.
    Potential Environmental Impacts: Potential environmental impacts of 
the proposed action have been assessed and compared to the impacts of 
the no action alternative. The proposed action is expected to have the 
following impacts:
     Minor short-term adverse impacts to air quality, noise, 
and traffic during the transportation of supplies and materials from 
the Sharpe Site to other DLA facilities.
     A reduction in traffic at the Sharpe Site, which would 
lessen potential traffic-related affects to burrowing owls with a long-
term negligible beneficial impact on the biological resources at the 
Sharpe Site.
     A reduction in the work force at the Sharpe Site and an 
increased work force at the Tracy Site. As such, there would be a long-
term negligible adverse impact on the socioeconomic resources on the 
local Lathrop area and a long-term negligible beneficial impact on the 
socioeconomic resources on the local Tracy area.
     A temporary increase in economic activities resulting in a 
short-term and negligible economic beneficial impact for the local 
economies.
    Determination: DLA has determined that implementation of the 
proposed action will not have a significant effect on the human 
environment. Human environment was interpreted comprehensively to 
include the natural and physical environment and the relationship of 
people with that environment. Specifically, no highly uncertain or 
controversial impacts, unique or unknown risks, or cumulatively 
significant effects were identified. Implementation of the proposed 
action will not result in the loss or destruction of significant 
scientific, cultural, or historic resources and implementation of the 
proposed action will not violate any federal, state, or local laws. 
Based on the results of the analyses performed during the preparation 
of the environmental assessment, David Rodriquez, Director, DLA 
Installation Support, concludes the proposed action to relinquish the 
permit to use and occupy the Sharpe site does not constitute a major 
federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human 
environment within the context of the NEPA. Therefore, an environmental 
impact statement for the proposed action is not required.

    Dated: July 16, 2013.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2013-17377 Filed 7-18-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P